


Fall In

by Nny11



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: A smoothie!, Adora's plans are good and still fail, Fix-It of Sorts, Fluff, Gen, Glimma What Have You Got There?, Horde Squad, If we don't fight how would you know we care about you?, Momgella Adopts, Rogelio gives the best speeches, Someone help these kids, The Extended Best Friend Squad - the name's a work in progress, The Family that Fights Together Stays Together, What If the Whole Squad Defected?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-19
Updated: 2019-11-19
Packaged: 2021-02-13 02:14:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,825
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21486643
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nny11/pseuds/Nny11
Summary: What if the whole squad defected instead of just Adora?
Relationships: Adora & Catra & Kyle & Lonnie & Rogelio (She-Ra), Angella & Glimmer (She-Ra)
Comments: 20
Kudos: 243





	Fall In

**Author's Note:**

> Based on the insanely fun chat between me and [Venn364](https://venn364.tumblr.com/) on tumblr!

Accepting Adora into the Rebellion was one thing. She knew that, she _ understood _ that. Adora had always been set aside as something special no matter how badly it turned out, and discovering she was othered once more wasn’t upsetting. She’d always been The Other since she’d been old enough to understand why kids didn’t want to practice with her. Why no one had wanted to bunk with her until Catra arrived. She was used to it, and better yet, she understood how to work that system to the best of her abilities.

This time, when the Horde comes for Salineas, Adora was prepared.

She’s so, so very grateful that Catra finds her alone. She’s less grateful for the gut punch, but this time instead of playing Catra’s game, Adora is playing her own. And Catra, so unused to Adora’s machinations, listens. They talk. Not the last time they’ll talk either about choices and destiny, about power and safety, about worth. No, not the last time. But they talk for the first time really, and Catra agrees to defect.

But that isn’t _enough_.

This is the plan: Catra will go back to the ship and ditch the Force Captain. She’ll have them sail just around the bend a bit and wait. Adora will go and explain it to them.

“They’ll listen to you!” Adora says, foolishly optimistic and a little bit beyond unaware.

Catra scoffs, almost calls the whole thing off at how angry it makes her. That Adora doesn’t understand after thirteen years that no one EVER listens. “You were the squad leader. Besides giving pep talks is more your speed.”

Those words burn to say and grate against Adora’s heart in a way she’d never expected. But she agrees to try. 

As with all plans, this one disintegrated on contact with the enemy when Sea Hawk and Glimmer crash a flaming ship into the Horde’s vessel. That night, Adora sneaks out and searches along the shore to find her friends all huddled down the coast in a cave. Catra having to abuse her position to keep them there and quiet as possible. Her, Lonnie, and Kyle having dog piled on Rogelio to keep the night’s damp chill from getting him sick. Scorpia has not been ditched. In fact, Scorpia is picking up firewood when Adora arrives. She’s so glad that all it takes is one squeak of, “I’m not here to fight!” to actually prevent a fight.

Convincing the squad?

Ouch.

It takes so long, the sun has started to rise before they come to an agreement. Catra goes where Adora goes. Lonnie goes where the whole crew goes, Rogelio goes where Kyle goes, and Kyle goes where Catra bullies him to. Unexpectedly, it turns out, Scorpia goes where Catra goes and Scorpia begs her to reconsider, to not make Scorpia force her back. For the first time ever all of her friends sit in awe as Catra pulls a well-crafted and emotional speech from near thin air where anyone can see. No hiding her strength from unwanted eyes or playing the part under cold gray hands. She doesn’t just talk, she explains and convinces and supports. Turning a moment that could have ended in defeat into a victory. Turning an enemy into an ally.

“I thought giving pep talks was my thing?” Adora jokes, far too impressed to do much more than try and stay afloat in these new uncharted waters.

“What dumbass told you that?” Lonnie snickers. “Girl, you can pull it out, but I wouldn’t say you’re _ good _ at it.”

Somehow, despite their new found agreement, despite their new found respect for one another, despite being soldiers no longer wet behind the ears- that one mild insult means the talk still ends with Catra and Lonnie brawling on the sand with Kyle trying to talk them out of it while riding on top Rogelio’s shoulder (a spot Rogelio chooses specifically to keep Kyle out of harm's way). Adora joins half way through only to alternate between pummeling and getting pummeled. Scorpia notes every single spar violation, completely missing the point. 

Eventually the fight ends, with Lonnie having long since tagged out while Adora and Catra had continued getting some of their frustration out on one another. Later they’ll look back at moments like these, where the best explanations were carved into one another’s skins and wonder how it ever helped. That morning in the pale pink of dawn they didn’t need words, not until they’d both exhausted themselves. Once they were locked together, not in a grapple, but because without the other they’d collapsed the two agreed to a tie.

It’s almost mid day by the time a ship diverts from it’s path along the coast towards them.

Glimmer pops into existence two feet above Catra’s head, and lands a very impressive left hook that sends the other girl sprawling. Adora, sleep deprived and exhausted, doesn’t need to think to have those old pathways in her brain light up. Catra’s being attacked. So Adora attacks the attacker.

The fight is brief as Scorpia separates everyone while Bow convinces Glimmer to save a little fight and magic, for an actual battle. The plan, or what little a plan like, “I will help all of you sneak into Brightmoon since I’m She-Ra. No one has to know you’re there and they probably have to do what I say!” can really be considered a plan, changes now that Adora isn’t doing it alone. Sea Hawk ferries them all back to Seaworthy, with Bow and Scorpia providing back up singers, Catra and Rogelio curled up in sunny spots, and Lonnie both laughing at and helping Kyle get untangled from the rigging the ride is actually rather peaceful by their standards.

With Bow there to remind them what happened the last time they tried sneaking **one** Horde soldier into the castle, let alone the **five** they’ve brought this time, they opt to walk through the front gate. The guards take one look at their ragged sorry state and within ten minutes they’ve arrived at the throne room.

“Commander Glimmer,” Queen Angella says as calmly and regally as she can manage in front of a full court, “what do you have to say for yourself?”

Glimmer smiles, not noticing the way all the former Horde soldiers stare at her in a mix of shock and frustration at the title, and says, “The mission was a success! The Sea Gate has been restored to full functionality and Princess Mermista has pledged herself to the Princess Alliance.”

During the pause Angella takes a deep breath and sighs, feeling the weight of the world on her shoulders as she realizes her daughter is hoping to just...not explain anything. “Glimma, who are they?”

“These are some new Rebellion recruits.” She says, face struggling to not betray her nervousness.

“And I, your Majesty, am Sea Hawk! Daring adventurer and dashing pirate extraordinaire!” Sea Hawk sashays his way to the throne, before dipping into an overly deep bow. For good measure he kisses her hand. “Always available for hire, my prices are very reasonable considering the quality of my services. And might I say, you’re daughter is one of the most spirited fighters I’ve ever met!”

“Glimma!”

“What mom!? We won! The Princess Alliance is growing and the Rebellion has gained five skilled recruits!”

“You have brought five Horde soldiers into our kingdom!”

“Former Horde soldiers.” Bow adds, simply to try and help his best friend out even though this particular maneuver has never worked. “Annnnnnnd now they’re Rebellion soldiers! How great is that?”

“I regret this,” Catra says without any ounce of trying to hide her annoyance. When Adora elbows her hard, Catra responds- and before anyone realizes what’s happening, Rogelio and Scorpia once more find themselves having to separate a fight between two sleep deprived and very competitive soldiers.

“She hit me first!” Catra hisses, swiping at Adora as best she can. “Scorpia put me down!”

“You were being rude!” Adora gasps, throwing one more desperate kick as she’s picked up off the floor.

“Seriously? They were ignoring us!”

“You can’t just disrespect the crown!”

“So what, I’m the bad guy for saying what we were thinking? Get off your high horse princess!”

“Why are you always doing this-”

“I am not!”

“Are too!”

“Am not!”

“ARE TOO!”

Rogelio roars to catch their attention. He carefully puts Adora down as he explains why they shouldn’t be fighting. Why they should be working together, as a unit and as a family. How they are invaluable to one another, and need to trust each other now more than ever. That here, in this new home they were making it was a chance for them to start over. Start fresh. To be not who they _ had _ to be, but to be who they _ wanted _ to be. And that fighting like Junior Cadets was childish and made them look bad.

It really was a shame that no one seemed to understand him, although it didn’t stop Bow and Sea Hawk from tearing up at the obvious tone of his speech.

“The giant lizard man is right!” Bow said, sniffling, “No more fighting, we’re all friends! We are The Extended Best Friend Squad!”

Sea Hawk wraps an arm around Kyle’s shoulders, the other around Lonnie’s posing dramatically before bursting into tears. “It is such an honor!”

No one can really agree why Queen Angella of Brightmoon, leader of the free world and head of the Princess Alliance, agreed to let them stay that day. If it was the chance to train her own soldiers to a higher standard, if it was to save face,or if it was because in that moment she looked down the steps she realized how painfully young these soldiers were. Children, most no older than her own daughter. Children who had come seeking aid. Children who had come to pledge themselves to her cause.

But agree she did, and after getting a promise (no matter how grudging) that Adora and Catra would not try to fight one another outside of the training room, she sent them to the infirmary.

She watches them leave. Lonnie poking at Catra’s bruises and Kyle accidentally tripping Adora sending them both sprawling to the floor outside the throne room. Yes, it was different accepting them from accepting Adora. A group of rough and tumble Horde soldiers was nothing like taking in She-Ra. Angella smiles wearily as she took her seat once more.

“As I was saying, Brightmoon is open to all refugees and those displaced seeking safety. Our borders do not close and we are welcoming to all kingdoms and their peoples. Now if that is quite finished, we do need to discuss our newest trade agreements with Plumeria. Oh, and will someone please send word to Salineas that we wish to discuss much the same? Thank you.”

Just another day in the Rebellion really.


End file.
